INFORMS News: 2012 INFORMS International Conference

The Forbidden City is a must-see for visitors to the 2012 INFORMS International Conference.

By Jian Chen and David Yao

The 2012 INFORMS International Conference will be held in Beijing, China, June 24-27. The theme of the conference is “OR/MS for a Sustainable World.” As OR/MS plays an increasingly important and high-profile role in the delivery of environmental and economic benefits around the globe, the Beijing conference aims to showcase the unique challenges and opportunities in OR/MS research, and to provide a forum for all participants to exchange ideas, to learn from each other and to make friends.

The conference program will feature four plenary presentations, given by: Brenda Dietrich, IBM Fellow and vice president, on business analytics; Darrell Duffie, Dean Witter Distinguished Professor of Finance at Stanford Business School, on systemic risk (also an Omega Rho Distinguished Lecture); Avishai Mandelbaum, Benjamin & Florence Free Professor of Industrial Engineering and Management at Technion, on data-based service networks; and Yuzhuo Zhang, president and CEO of Shenhua Group Corporation, on clean coal and carbon finance.

Also included in the program are eight tutorials, covering state-of-the-art research and applications in diverse areas such as business analytics and software tools, data analysis, financial engineering, healthcare delivery, linear and nonlinear programming, model uncertainty and robust optimization and optimization via simulation.

Beijing, China, will play host to the INFORMS International Conference June 24-27.

The conference will take place at the China National Convention Center in the Beijing Olympic Park, surrounded by architectural marvels such as the “Bird’s Nest” and the “Water Cube,” and within modest distance to the “Eggshell” (National Center for Performing Arts) and the “Z Crisscross” (CCTV Building). Contrasting against and complementing this ultra-modern cosmopolitan landscape are the charming hutongs of yesteryear, along with renowned historical sites such the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, the Ming Tomb and, of course, the Great Wall – all located in nearby city centers or suburbs.

For more information regarding registration (pre-registration deadline: May 14), accommodations (a wide range to choose from), social events, travel and tourism, see the conference Web page: http://meetings2.informs.org
/beijing2012/index.html.

Jian Chen is the general chair and David Yao is the program chair of the 2012 INFORMS International Conference in Beijing.